Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 ICS Update Release Date?

While the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II is already getting an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note will have to wait until the second quarter of this year but will have special S Pen apps.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich adds some features such as Android Beam, Face Unlock, a new UI and improved camera (see all features and video).  It combines Android 3.2 Honeycomb features and updates other features.

Samsung did not give an exact date of the update and does not usually announce the date until a few days before the update.  Updates usually are given for unlocked models first and then more time is required by the carriers to test and tweak the update.

In the meantime, Angry Birds and angry owners can play an exclusive Angry Birds Space game package with special levels and freebies.

When the Android 4.0 update arrives it will also include special S Pen apps and multimedia features (video demonstration follows).

• S Note is a special app that lets you combine handwritten notes or sketches with other content.
• Shape Match will  help correct and digitize  hand-drawn geometric shapes so that you can draw tables and grids which are instantly digitized,.
• Formula Match uses the S Note’s integrated knowledge search engines to quickly search, and obtain information.
• My Story allows you to create personalized digital cards for friends or family using any type of content including notes, video content, photos, text or voice.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade will vary by market and wireless carriers’ requirements.

U.S. Samsung Galaxy Note owners should not get too excited it took over a year for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update to reach the Samsung Captivate.  AT&T recently announced that it update the Samsung Captivate Glide, Note, S II, Skyrocket and Tab 8.9, but did not give any dates.

AT&T smartphone owners seldom get an over-the-update but are required to use the kies mini app that is only available on PC computers. The HTC Vivid is getting an Android 4.0 update, now. It has also been learned that an update on a popular smartphone can clog networks significantly.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is so big it can used by an elephant.  It is green-certified.  The best price we could find was $249.99 from Amazon Wireless for the Samsung Galaxy Note, the tablet/phone on the AT&T network.